Ways of forming imperatives

There are no special imperative verb forms or imperative sentence structures in Navajo. Any sentence with a second or a fourth person subject can be understood as imperative as long as the meaning of the rest of the sentence allows it.

Navajo has sentences that can be used as commands or requests, formed with a second person subject, with the verb in certain modes. There also are less direct ways of making commands or requests that are formed with a fourth person subject. These sentences can be affirmative or negative. Below are examples of each of these:

Second Person Affirmation

(1)
Shíká ’anilyeed.
1-for 2-run.I
Help me. / You’re helping me. (lit. You’re running for me.)

Second Person Negation

Optative

(2)
Mósí ch’óółt’e’.
cat out-3-2-take.Opt
Don’t put the cat out! (YMM 1992:882) [[CHECK with speakers]]

Optative + lágo

(3)
Mósí ch’óółt’e’ lágo.
cat out-3-2-carry.O hope.not
Don’t put the cat out! / I hope you don’t put the cat out.

t’áadoo V-

(4)
T’áadoo ’anit’íní!
neg 2-do.NI-Í
Don’t do that!

Fourth Person Affirmative

(5)
Hatáaldi jigháahgo hozhdísin łeh.
ceremony-at 4-go.I-GO 4-respect.NI usually
One should be respectful when one goes to a ceremony.

Fourth Person Negation

(6)
Doo ’ájíníi da!
neg 4-say.NI -neg
One doesn’t say that!

The imperfective mode yields an immediate imperative (i.e., something that requires immediate action), and the future mode is more likely to be used for commands that are less immediate. The optative mode is often used with imperative negations. See also Reichard (1951:137), YM (1987:204), and YMM (1992:881f.). YM (1987:204-5) presents examples of imperatives in numerous aspects. We do not repeat this work here but refer the reader to these sources.

In Navajo, commands seem to be indirect, arising by implication and inference. Sentences with fourth person subjects are often general statements about what constitutes good behavior. The person spoken to is left to infer that the reason the speaker chose to utter the general statement is to affect the hearer’s behavior. Hence, there can be an implication of a command. Statements using the optative mode with lágo express the hopes of the speaker (‘I hope you don’t do this’ or ‘I hope that doesn’t happen’). The behavior in question is understood to be inconsistent with the speaker's desires. If the speaker is in a position of authority, the result is an indirect imperative.

Glossing conventions and a note on morphology are here [link].

An example search has returned 50 entries

’Ahwééh bee yishdlį́hígíí bikáá’ ’adání bikáá’ dah yish’ááh.

coffee 3-with 3-1-drink.P-NOM table 3-on up 3-1-put.SRO.U

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ shimá b na’nishkaadgo ’aghaa’ yisdizígíí dibé yázhí yichíihgo yizénéíłt’ih.

long ago 1-mother 3-with SUP-1-herd.I-GO wool 3-spin.P-ígíí lamb 3-birth.P-GO 3-neck-around-3-tie.P

’Ííłta’ dóó ’iiłghaazh.

1-read.P CONJ 1-sleep.P

Béégashii báháchxį’go bik’ee neeshchééł.

cattle 3-become.angry.I-GO 3-on.account.of 1-flee.Prog

bik’ídadidoohdis

pl-3DO-2dpl-wrap.it.around.it.F

bik’ídiidis

3DO-1dpl-wrap.it.around.it.I

Daané’é baa na’aldeehdi ’at’ééd jooł yídzoołtał.

game 3-to 3-happen.CI-at girl ball 3-3-kick.Prog

dadoohsį́į́ł

pl-3DO-2dpl-eat.it.F

dadoołbish

pl-3DO-2dpl-boil.it.F

dajitł’ó

pl-3DO-4dpl-weave.it.I

daoo’aal

pl-3DO-2dpl-chew.it.P

deiidlą́ą́’

pl-3DO-1dpl-drink.it.P

didadiiljéé’

pl-3DO-1dpl-start.fire.P

didazhdiłjeeh

pl-3DO-4dpl-start.fire.I

didiiljéé’

3DO-1dpl-start.fire.P

dizhdínóołkał

3DO-4-start.to.herd.them.(animals).F

Díí tł’éé’ t’áá ká dóola dá’ák’eólyeed lágo.

this night NEG bull into.field-3-run.O hope.not LÁGO

Doo ’áłah dadiidleeł da.

NEG together pl-1dpl-meet.pl.F NEG

doołbish

3DO-2dpl-boil.it.F

dínółkaad

3DO-2dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).I

díłhį́į́h

3DO-2-melt.it.I

Gohwééh t’áá bizhání ’éí doodaii’ ’abe’ bgo daats’í nínízin?

coffee only TOP or milk perhaps 3-with 3-2-want.NI

hadazhdoołtééł

pl-3DO-4dpl-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.F

hayííłgizh

3DO-3-cut.it.out.P

hazhniłchaad

3DO-4-card.it.(as.in.wool).I

Háágóó lá Bíl doogááł nízin Jáan?

where-toward Q Bill 3-go.sg.F 3-want.CI John

Háát’i’ le’!

up-3-extend.P LE’
listenloadingplaying

(Let my ears) stick up.

Mary ha’át’íí yinízin?

Mary what 3-3-want.NI

Mexicogóó daashinyáa ni’.

Mexico-to was.it 2-go.I NI’

Na’ashǫ́’ii doo baa nijit’į́į́ da.

snake NEG 3-with 4-bother.O NEG
listenloadingplaying

Do not bother snakes. (YM 1987: 130)

Na’nízhoozhígóó deeyá, ya’?

Gallup-toward 2-go.sg.F Q

Nichxǫ' doo ájíléeh da.

stop NEG 3-4-make.I NEG
listenloadingplaying

Stop, don’t do bad stuff!

Nichxǫ' doo ájíníi da.

stop NEG 4-say.thus.NI NEG
listenloadingplaying

Stop, don’t say it!

Nichxǫ' doo ájít’į́į da.

stop NEG 4-act.thus.I NEG
listenloadingplaying

Stop, don’t do it!

Níká ’adeeshwoł biniiyé níyá.

2-for 1-run.F 3-purpose.of 1-came.P

Níwe, bíni'dii ’ałwosh!

stop 3-let 3-sleep.I
listenloadingplaying

Stop, let it sleep!

Shibéézh bik’í’óshch’iid le’ ’éé’ bitahgi yóó’ ’eelts’id.

1-knife 1-find.it.O clothes 3-among 3-move.P

Shicheii bighangóó yishááł.

1-grandfather house-toward 1-go.Prog

Shimá bighangóó náshdáahgo łééchąą’í baná’ástso’.

1-mother 3-house-toward again-1-go-GO dog 3-again-1-feed.R

Shimá bighangóó shíni’ ńt’éé’ ch’ééh déago shhoogéé’.

1-mother 3-home-to 1-desire.to.go past in.vain 1-go.P-GO 1-with ho-become.lazy.X

Shí ’éí t’áá naanishdóó kingóó déyá.

I TOP just work-from town-to 1-go.I

Shínaaí shíká ’adoolwoł nisin ńt’éé’ ’áłt’ąą t’áadoo níyáa da.

1-older.brother 1-for 3-run.F 1-want.NI but after.all NEG 3-come.sg.P NEG

Sohodizingo t’áá ká nídoó’nééh.

prayer-GO neg 2-get.up.O

Tį’ ninádeiilnish.

let’s.go again-pl-1dpl-work.R

Tó lą’ígo nidlą́ ’áko bee nitah yá’áh’hoot’ééh dooleeł.

water many 3-2-drink.DI so 3-with 2-among pl-3-good.NI future

Tsé’áándę́ę́’ dóó tsédáajį’ ninish’na’.

cave-from and cliff-to 1-crawl.P

Tł’éédą́ą́, yá’át’ééhgo iiłhaaz. Night.last good.GO 1-sleep.P

Night.last good.GO 1-sleep.P

wołbéézh

3DO-2dpl-boil.it.I

Yishdlosh le’.

peg-1-trot.Prog LE’
listenloadingplaying

I wish to trot (in water).

“Níléi dził binaagóó ’áheehidi’níílchééł”, ní jiní ma’ii.

yonder.there mountain 3-around-GÓÓ around-2-du-run.F 3-say.P 4-say.P coyote